The Etchings in the Bones
by MistressDarkness
Summary: A man that has eluded Booth for years shows up in his and Brennan's latest case. Only this time he's after the only two that can put him behind bars. kidnap, angst, torture
1. Chapter 1

Alarms sounded throughout the lab as Agent Booth rushed up the platform. The team covered their ears until Brennan swiped her own card through, ceasing all noise. "What's so important that you couldn't take one second to use your I.D. card?" She pushed past her partner to continue working on a skeleton dated from the 1800s. Not once did she look at him.

Seeley moved to stand on the other side of the table, slamming down a black garbage bag. "This." The woman glared back at him, relaying how pissed off she was that his bag had almost hit the bones she had laid out in anatomical formation. He sighed, "Look Bones, I'm sorry. I…" he paused for a moment, deciding not to continue his sentence. He turned and ran back down the stairs before saying something he may regret.

Angela put a hand on her friend's back, "I wonder what all that was about." The squints had hung back, not wanting to get in the middle of anything if Booth and Brennan were about to get in an argument. The crime-solving duo were two of the most stubborn people they knew. Trying to break up those fights were like trying to end World War II.

Brennan stared after Booth, wondering the exact same thing. "I don't know Ange." Slowly, she inspected the contents of the bag, pulling out numerous bones. "Zach, pull up another table. Apparently we're working on a new case."

The intern did as he was instructed. Hodgins approached, "Whoa, what are those?" His finger pointed to intricate designs etched into the bones.

Temperance carefully turned each one in the light. "Your guess is as good as mine. You see if you can get any particulates out of the crevices made by the markings. Angela, take the skull and identify the victim. And Zach, try to determine cause of death in my absence." Without waiting for their acknowledgment, she quickly made her way down the stairs while removing her gloves.

"But where are you going?" Zach's voice echoed down the hall. His only answer was a wave of the hand.

"Well you heard the lady," Angela took charge, grabbing the skull from the pile of remains. The others followed suit.

Brennan got in the elevator of the FBI building, snaking her arm around others in order to hit the button for her floor. One person glared at her rudeness, but it was lost on the anthropologist. Social etiquette wasn't her thing. Once out, she rounded the corner into the familiar room. Seeley sat with his head in hands. He was oblivious to her presence. "Booth…?" Temperance hadn't seen him stressed out like this in a while.

The agent jumped, startled that someone was able to get in his office without him knowing. "Bones. Sorry, I didn't hear you come in." He motioned to a chair for her to sit. "Did you find something already?"

She shook her head, "Not yet. I have the others working on it as we speak."

Booth seemed puzzled. "Then why are you here?"

Brennan thought for a moment, trying to figure out a nice way of wording her concern. Giving up, she decided to stick with her usual form of conversing. "What was that all about back at the lab?"

Of course. That's what she wanted to know. Who wouldn't want to know why they were treated rudely at for no apparent reason? "Oh. I'm sorry, I just…This case…" He took a deep breath, reorganizing his thoughts. "It's very important we catch this guy."

"That was beyond vague. It's very important we catch all of the murderers we go after." She watched him run a hand through his hair in frustration. Obviously she wasn't getting something. "There's more to it than that though. What's going on? If I'm on this case, I need to know."

He nodded. "I know you need to know. This guy is twisted. I've been up against him before, but I've never been able to incriminate him."

Bones interrupted, "Like Hollings?"

This time he shook his head from side to side. "Much worse. The man we're dealing with is called the Carver. You know those designs you saw scratched into the bone?" He waited until she nodded. His eyes closed, reliving the Carver's past victims. "He uses a blade to make them while the person is still alive."

Brennan started piecing the information together, "But that would mean he carves into them while their flesh is still attached?"

"Yes. You only got bones from the latest victim. The one I found three years ago still had a full body. Areas where he had drawn circles into the bone were missing flesh; it was either removed or fell off the body because nothing else was holding it down." The FBI agent's voice was hoarse.

"Booth," Brennan slid her hand over his on the desk. "How many times has this occurred over the years?"

A deep sigh. "23 bodies total." Upon seeing Bones' shocked face, he added "I've tried incriminating him three times, and each damn time he walked free." A growl escaped his throat. "Look, I didn't mean to be rude earlier, I'm just angry at myself."

Her brows furrowed, "Why at yourself? If you should be angry with anyone, it should be with the Carver. He's the one who's been dementedly killing innocent people, not you."

His voice rose, "This guy should have been in jail for years by now. Instead he's out there hacking away and taking more lives! I should have been able to put him away the last time. I should have…" Booth's head dropped back into hands, the exact same position Bones had found him in.

Brennan became demanding and confident. "No. Booth, you can't keep blaming yourself for these things. I know you; you did everything you possibly could. If the Carver walked free, it's because of a judge that can't see what's right under his face."

A chuckle sounded. Booth looked up, "What's right under his nose Bones, his nose."

She thought for a moment, "The nose is on the face."

The man smiled. "Okay Bones," he agreed. "Did you just make fun of our judicial system?"

"Well, yes. Judges hold too much power and the jury is made up of civilians who only know the facts given to them. The lawyers act as gatekeepers, controlling the flow of information, however pertinent it may be. I don't understand how ordinary people have the qualifications to make these types of major decisions. They are easily persuaded by professionals. Some cases don't even include juries…"

"Bones…" Booth futilely tried to interrupt her rant. "Sorry I asked," he mumbled to himself.

"…And even if a jury is able to make an educated decision, how is it possible for them to keep up with legal and scientific jargon when you, a trained FBI agent and ex-Army Ranger, can't even understand it?"

"They…" He began trying to answer the beginning of her question when he heard the last part, "Hey! Wait a minute now!"

"I constantly have to rephrase my findings so you can comprehend the evidence my team discovers." She stated as a matter of fact.

Booth blinked. "Not all the time," he mumbled. A smile crept back onto his lips; he knew exactly what she was doing. "Thanks Bones. I appreciate it."

Her face mirrored his. Their normal bickering had snapped him out of his depressive state. "Anytime."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Thank you guys so much for your reviews. They're greatly appreciated and really motivating. Here's the next chapter for you all! Sorry it's kind of short, but the next chapter will be twice as long (we're getting into the action). enjoy, and please review! I love to hear your comments.

CHAPTER 2

Picking up her cell phone, she answered "Brennan."

"Hey sweetie," Angela began. "Everything okay with Booth?"

"How did you know I was with Booth?" she questioned puzzled.

Upon hearing his name, the FBI agent looked over towards his partner with a similar expression on his face. "Are you talking about me? Girl gossip?" He winked.

Brennan waved her hand at him, brushing him off while trying to listen to her colleague. "I'm not predictable." Booth gave a sarcastic laugh, causing Temperance to roll her eyes. "No Ange. We're on our way to investigate the area where the body was found. Booth said there's not much, but I want to see for myself. Maybe there's something he missed." Her eyes shifted over to see his reaction to her comment. He frowned playfully at her.

"Uh huh. Anyways, our victim is female, approximately 25 years old. Zach found the cause of death to be the designs etched into the bones." Angela's voice turned serious, "Bren, this girl was still alive when the murderer began hacking away."

Temperance closed her eyes slowly, "I know, Booth told me this guy's M.O."

"Right. Okay, Hodgins is currently analyzing some dirt he found in the bones." The anthropologist could hear Jack groaning about Angela's use of the term 'dirt.' "I've narrowed down the victim to four possible women. I'll give you a call back when we find the results."

Brennan gave her thanks before hanging up just as Booth pulled up to the crime scene. The two slid out of the car. Booth held up the yellow tape roping off the area for his partner to walk under. Taking out her gloves, the Jeffersonian employee bent down where she was told the bag was found. Blue eyes surveyed the land. Garbage littered the ground. "How did you know which bag held the bones inside?"

"A homeless man was rooting through the trash for anything he could salvage. He accidentally came across it and reported it to the nearest police station." Booth covered his nose from the stench; the humidity was making the dump smell ripe. "Just hurry up and get what you need Bones before I loose my lunch."

She continued sifting through trash as she responded, "Like you haven't smelt worse things in the lab?" The FBI agent nodded in agreement, he couldn't deny the foul odors that sometimes permeated throughout the Jeffersonian. A slight breeze ruffled the doctor's hair. Booth gagged when his nose caught a whiff of his surroundings again. "Why are you so sensitive to garbage? I'm sure you have plenty in your own home." Before he could get in a quip about his home being nice and tidy, Brennan held up a hand to silence him. The question she had asked was very valid, almost too valid. Booth usually only gets sick around the smell of rotting corpses or feces. She looked around, watching which way the wind blew the leaves in the nearby bushes. It was coming from the east. She quickly moved from bag to bag, heading in that particular direction. By the fourth one, she had found what she was looking for. She turned around, producing a decaying arm with designs cut into the flesh.

Booth rolled his eyes, careful not to take a reflexive deep breath to calm himself. "Great, just great." He whipped out his cell phone, making a call to the FBI about Brennan's latest find.

At Brennan's request, Booth dropped her off at the lab so she could get to work on the latest remains. It was three days later before the forensic anthropologist finally saw him again. His feet dragged as he made his way up to the platform. "Booth, are you alright?" his partner questioned upon seeing his appearance. His hair was disheveled. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"Yeah, yeah," he brushed it off. "Can I speak to you in your office?" He waited for her nod before he wandered off back down the stairs.

Pulling her gloves off, Brennan pardoned herself from the team. She closed the glass door to her office. She took a seat next to her friend on her couch. "Where've you been? Did something happen?"

He smiled at her concerned face, "Nothing's wrong. I've just been interrogating everyone I can get my hands on. Did you find out anything about the two bodies?"

"Yeah," she said slowly, still not believing him. "The first victim was named Ashley Cosienes. She lived in the D.C. area. The second victim was twenty-year old Steven Alloy. He went to college in Virginia but was in D.C with his classmates for field study. He was a political science major. It was the same cause of death." He nodded, already knowing the last part but needing it to be confirmed. "If you didn't know these victims names yet, who were you interrogating?"

"Family members of the victims from previous trials against the Carver. I've been going over the file night and day. There's got to be something I'm missing." He leaned his head back, letting it sink into the plush leather cushions as his eyes slid closed.

"You weren't kidding when you said you've been going over the file night and day were you? You haven't slept since I last saw you," she surmised. He turned to glance at her, quickly dismissing her hypothesis. "Booth, you have dark bags under your eyes, you're shuffling your feet, and moving slower than usual. You need to be in top form if you want to be able to catch this guy."

"You don't get it Bones. I can't sleep until the Carver is caught. While I'm peacefully sleeping, another innocent woman could be tortured to death at his hands. I can't live with myself knowing I didn't give it 110%." Brennan made a funny face at his percentage tallying. He caught on, "You know what I mean Bones. I don't want anyone else dieing on my watch."

She patted his shoulder in understanding. "Just don't get to the point where you're useless to everyone."

His lips turned up at the corners at her wording. He knew that was her way of saying she was worried about him. "I'll watch out for that. Now we got to get going."

"Where to?"

He hated this part. "To break the news to these two families."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: Thank you again to everyone who has reviewed. They mean a lot to writers. As always, please read and review. And enjoy the new episode thursday!

CHAPTER 3

The hills were alive with gorgeous red flowers blooming everywhere. The burgundy sun slowly disappearing over the horizon made the scene even better, if that was possible. Booth continued driving in silence, not paying attention to anything but where he was headed. Brennan sighed, the Cosienes family had taken the news pretty hard. Unfortunately, she had also apparently not given the details in a very "nice" way. Personally, she didn't believe there was a nice way of telling someone their child had died after hours upon hours of torture. Booth had given her a small lecture, too tired to dwell on it for very long. She kept shifting her gaze over to him every once in a while, checking to make sure he wasn't going to pass out at the wheel. She hadn't seen him like this before, and truth be told it worried her. She looked back out the window; by now it was almost pitch black out. The flowers were barely even visible. Landscape wasn't something she usually noticed unless it was that belonging to a crime scene. After driving south into Virginia for so long, it was hard not to notice her surroundings. Hopefully the Alloy family didn't live too much farther; her legs were getting stiff.

Booth's voice broke through her daydreams, "You could rest you know. We still have about an hour before we get to their house."

His partner gave him an incredulous look, "I'm not the one who needs it."

"I know you think I am running myself ragged, but--" before the agent could finish his sentence, a large white SUV bumped into their car from behind. "Shit!" he cursed. Booth had been watching this vehicle for a few miles, but it had seemed harmless until now. The FBI car jerked again when struck for a second time. "Bones, hold on tight." She didn't have enough time to question him before he slammed on the brakes, swerving off to the right while the SUV kept heading forward. Booth tried to get a view of their assailants as they whizzed by. He was able to gun it to the left before the SUV tried to back up into its target. "Bones, grab the extra gun I keep in the back. If you can get a clear shot, take them down."

"But Booth, you always tell me-"

"Don't argue with me right now. I'm not going to put your life in unnecessary danger," He cut her off sternly. Brennan looked over at him with a mix of concern and comfort. Booth threw the car back into motion, watching the speedometer reach 95mph. His main priority right now was to keep Bones safe. He immediately regretted his choice of running away once the SUV reappeared in his rearview mirror. It was gaining on them. A bullet broke through the back window. He could barely hear Brennan's cry of surprise over the shattering glass. "Bones! You okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. You?" As soon as the word "yes" left his mouth, she turned around in her seat, taking aim. The shot echoed through the cab, effectively taking out one of their pursuer's tires.

"Yeah!" Booth laughed. "Nice shot Bones!" She gave him a smug smile that clearly said 'I know.' The SUV swerved before continuing riding on the rim. Another gunshot took out Booth's rearview mirror. "Damn it! These guys don't quit!" It wasn't long before a bullet lodged itself inside the tire of the FBI issued car, blowing it to shreds. "Hang on!" He yelled, trying desperately to avoid the ravine off to the side of the road. Booth yanked the wheel to the left just as the white SUV pushed their car forward into the ditch.

Slightly disoriented, Brennan reached over to her partner. "Booth! Booth!" She tried to shake him awake. Looking out her window, she saw dirt. She shuddered a moment, remembering the last she looked out a vehicle's window and saw nothing but dirt. She quickly shook off the feeling, focusing on logical explanations. The car must have rolled onto its side. "Booth! Come on, you have to get up!" She turned, watching two guys jump out the sides of the SUV. The anthropologist quickly undid her seatbelt before trying to extract Booth's. He moaned against his injuries. She winced at his pain. The steering wheel broke two of his ribs, but from his breathing they seemed to have missed puncturing a lung. Red liquid oozed out of the corner of his mouth.

The agent's eyes opened, readjusting to his surroundings. Remembering what had just happened, he bolted upright, "Bones!" He squeezed his eyes shut against the pain he had accidentally invoked upon himself. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just some bruising. Booth, they're approaching the car. We have to get out of here now." He nodded to her. His hands fumbled with his seatbelt. She refused to move out of the way incase he couldn't support his own body weight; he didn't want to fall on her when his restraint was released. "No, you'll just hurt yourself more. Here, I got you." She supported him, helping him move to the blown out back window. He removed his weapon from its holster, scanning the area for immediate danger. If they went out in the open, they could be shot dead but if they stayed in the vehicle, they would also be easy targets. Once he was out, his hand extended to pull her outside with him. Turning around, his gun took aim but their attackers were nowhere to be found. Even their car was gone. "Okay this is weird." Booth nodded once again. Talking hurt his chest. He fell back up against the car, using it to stand. Brennan's eyes worriedly watched him, making sure he wasn't going to fall unconscious.

Seeley was too busy looking around, constantly on guard. He'd die before he let something happen to Bones. She wasn't an agent, she didn't sign on for this shit. A small part of his mind told him it was her choice to be here with him. She's the one who wanted to work in the field. Besides, it's not like she would take no for an answer. Stubborn woman. He sighed, pushing all his thoughts to the side. Why she was here wasn't important, it's the fact she's here in the middle of danger that he needed to concentrate on. A reflection caught his eye. He quickly reached out, dragging Bones to the ground with him. He heard the air fly out of her as she hit the dirt. Two fresh bullet holes pinpointed where Booth and Brennan had been previously standing. He was so focused on the marksman off in the distance, Booth didn't hear the man behind them until it was too late. "Bones!" He shouted. The attacker pulled her out of the agent's grasp, slamming her up against their crashed car. He held her hands tight behind her back. Something pointy appeared in his other hand. Booth charged the man, shoving his body away from her. The two collapsed to the ground. Their assailant punched Booth square in the jaw. Booth landed a few jabs to the guy's abdomen, all the while trying to knock the object out of his hand. Temperance pulled the man off her partner.

A gun cocked behind Brennan, her breath catching. She flung around, using the guy she was holding as a human shield. Booth began getting back up, "Stay down Booth, or I'll shoot her." He instantly froze, not wanting to be the reason Bones got injured. "Good boy," he spoke condescendingly. "Now Dr. Brennan, I would highly advise you to drop the man you're holding."

Her eyes were hard with resolve, "I would highly advise you take that gun off of me if you want your guy unharmed."

Booth spoke his agreement with that fact, "I wouldn't make her angry. You wouldn't like her when she's angry." The Incredible Hulk reference went right over her head as he knew it would.

"It doesn't matter to me one way or another." He barely got out the last word before the gunpowder ignited.

"BONES!" Booth screamed, jumping up to catch her as she fell.

"STAND DOWN BOOTH!" The gunman forced him back to the ground with his foot. Temperance slid down the side of the car. Her captive fell to his knees before face planting in the dirt. The bullet had pierced through his lung before stopping in Brennan's shoulder. Her hand tried to staunch the bleeding. Blood leaked out between her fingers. Booth growled, twisting the shooter's foot. He crashed down hard on the agent's ribs. Booth couldn't stifle the pained yell. Brennan attempted to aide him. "Stay still Tempe," the man warned. He had taken advantage of Booth's injury, pushing forcefully on the area. The agent bit down hard to keep from giving the man the satisfaction of a scream. Brennan's eyes stayed glued on her partner. Anger rose within her at the treatment of Booth and this man's nonchalant use of her nickname. At least he hadn't called her Bones. Her foot shot out, kicking the man's hand away as he tried to grab the object from his fallen comrade. "I said stay still! Do you think I won't kill your partner?! I don't care either way, the decision is all yours Temperance. Do you want him to live or die?" She remained quiet. "Dead or alive Temperance! Your partner, your call!" Their attacker was losing his patience quickly. Apparently he didn't expect this much trouble from the two.

Her voice came out in almost a whisper, "Alive." The alternative was unthinkable. Her mind screamed at her not to play this sick man's game, but what choice did she really have? She couldn't risk Booth's life. Her own life was one thing, but she wouldn't bring Seeley down with her.

"Bones," Booth moaned. He immediately had her complete and undivided attention. "Don't listen to him. This asshole can't kill me." His last comment earned him another jab to his ribs. Seeley's breathing became shallow.

Brennan had to stop this. With all of the force being applied, a broken rib could still puncture a lung. She couldn't believe he was goading their assailant. Booth, please shutup.

"Don't tempt me Seeley. You're lucky I made this your partner's decision or you be lying in a pool of blood right now." The man smiled to see Dr. Brennan shudder. No doubt his wording had brought horrid images into her mind. "Now Tempe, do as I say and hand me the object laying next to you." Her gaze drifted to the item on the ground. Her free hand sought it out, bringing it up to examine. The syringe contained some sort of liquid, but what was it? "We don't have all day." She glanced at Booth, conveying a silent 'I'm sorry' before handing over the syringe. The man instantly stuck the needle into the side of Booth's neck. His body went slack within seconds.

Temperance's heart stopped. "What did you do to him?!" she yelled, horrified she had handed over the syringe that had knocked him unconscious. Her mind screamed to check his pulse, but her body couldn't move after the blood loss she had suffered.

A smile appeared on their attacker's face. "You'll find out soon enough Tempe." He stalked towards her, removing the other syringe from his deceased friend's pocket. Brennan's foot flew up towards his groin, but the man was too quick. He caught it with ease, twisting. She cringed slightly. Taking the opportunity, he plunged the needle into her exposed leg. Her eyes shifted towards Booth one last time before darkness overcame her.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: This chapter is a tad shorter than the others, college blame exams. next one should be up in a week. enjoy and please review; they do wonders for motivating me to write more :)

CHAPTER 4

A deep pothole caused Booth's head to bounce up and land hard on metal flooring. He moaned, rolling over onto his side. A sharp pain in his chest plunged him into consciousness. Right, he had injured his ribs. He looked around, trying to focus in the dark. Only thin strips of light shone through cracks in the doorway. His body tilted to the right. Wait, he was in motion. A car? His memories came rushing back. The men who had attacked him and Brennan. Bones. "Bones," his rough voice echoed through the cabin. "Bones," he called again. He slid out his leg, feeling around for another body. His hopes that she had somehow escaped were dashed when his leg touched warm flesh. "Bones, wake up," he nudged her with his foot. He heard a faint noise: mumbling. "That's it, come on Bones," he coaxed.

Brennan's eyes fluttered open. Was that Booth's voice she had heard? "Booth?" she whispered into the darkness.

A smile spread across his face, "I'm here Bones. Are you okay?" He tried to sit up, only to find his hands tied behind his back. He slid over to the wall, using a combination of his head and hands to prop himself upright.

"Yeah…" Brennan heard her partner grunt. "I should be asking you that. Do you know where we are?"

"From the look of things, I'd say we're in the back of a van heading to God only knows where."

The breath caught in her throat. In the back of a van? Flashbacks assaulted her mind. She was fifteen years old, stuck in a trunk for two days because she accidentally broke her foster parent's plate while trying to wash the dishes. She was only trying to help. A newer image appeared in her head. She was underground, buried alive with Hodgins in her car. She was surrounded by dirt. Her choices were to either suffocate or be blown up trying to escape. She honestly thought she was going to die; she would never see Booth again. The letter she had written to him was still safely tucked away in her bedroom. She couldn't bring herself to throw it out.

She tried to steady her breathing. These fears were irrational. Brennan mentally scolded herself for letting her mind wander. Focusing on Booth's words, she tried to keep her composure. "You can't see in the dark so how could have known by looking at things? And God can't know where we're going because he doesn't exist."

Seeley listened, not to her words but to her voice. He could hear it shaking slightly. "Bones, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she answered harsher than she intended to. She didn't want to show weakness to anyone, even Booth. She waited for his reply, but it didn't come. Instead she heard more grunting and a softly spoken 'damn it.' Her brow furrowed, "What are you doing?"

Brennan couldn't hide the crack in her voice when she had responded to Booth's question. He knew something was wrong. "I'm trying to bring my hands around my legs so they're tied in front of me instead of behind me." He cussed again under his breath.

"Booth, don't be stupid! You shouldn't be moving at all with your broken ribs!" she yelled at him. Why did he have to be so stubborn? Possibilities of the damage he could be doing to his body right now raced through her mind. "You're only going to make things worse."

He ignored her, sighing in relief when he had finally succeeded. He scooted to the other side of the van where he had heard her voice coming from. Sliding his hands across the floor, he found her arm. Bones gasped in surprise, not realizing how close he was to her. His fingers grazed her skin, running down her arm until he found her hand. Gently, he pulled her into his lap, looping his bound arms over her head so he could hold her. Her body trembled.

Unable to contain herself any longer, Brennan snuggled into Booth's chest. Silent tears coursed down her face. All of her deepest fears were surfacing: being buried alive, the trunk of the car, and losing a loved one. Why did Booth have to be in here with her? Why couldn't he be safely back in Washington D.C.? She considered him family. He's the only one she could rely on in life. Yes, she had Angela, but she didn't understand Brennan the way Booth did. And she couldn't comfort Brennan the way he does. She felt something more towards her partner, but she couldn't make out what it was. All she knew was that she wished more than anything right now that he wasn't here. As much as she wanted his comfort, she rather him be safe.

Brennan had worked so hard to suppress her fears, but it didn't matter now. Her tense body slowly relaxed into Booth's, soaking his shirt with her tears. She leaned on him, careful not to cause any pain to his injuries. "It's okay Bones," he whispered into her ear. "Shhh, it's alright. I'm right here." One hand rubbed small circles on her back in a calming motion. He leaned his head down to rest on top of hers. "I got you, I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Her soft sobs began to subside.

Booth pulled back slowly, trying to see her face. He reached up his hands, running the backside of one down the length of her cheek. It felt dry; she had stopped crying. Brennan rested the weight of her head against his hand. She sighed, "How did you know?"

"Know what? That you were upset?" he felt her head nod up and down. "I had a feeling."

She tilted her head up towards his face, "A gut feeling?"

Brennan could hear the smile in his voice, "Yeah, a gut feeling." She rested against him again, content with his answer. He continued, "And plus, I know you Bones. We've been working together for years now. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't know when you were upset?" Temperance quickly picked up on how he had said friend instead of partner. He put her as a friend first and a partner second. Her heart warmed knowing she was more important to him than just her job. She had always assumed she was, but it was nice to hear it. Booth put his arms back around her when she caught them with her own. Her fingers entwined with his. "Bones?" She quickly went to work undoing the knots in the rope that bound his hands together. "Wait, let me untie yours first."

She shook her head. Realizing he couldn't see this, she spoke, "No. You need to your hands untied. Having them in this position is pushing against your broken ribs. You need to relieve the pressure."

Booth moved his hands away, only to have them snatched back. "Bones, come on," he whined. "If you can't untie the ropes in time, at least I can have yours undone. You're the best equipped right now in a fight," he tried reasoning with her.

Her hands moved over each braid, feeling out the knots. Slowly, she was able to figure out how to do undo them in the dark. "I'm untying you and that's final Booth! I can hear your labored breathing, as much as you have been trying to hide it." Her voice softened, "You're in pain, let me do what little I can to help." Booth heard the sadness laced in her words. He relented. "Thank you," she whispered. He knew this was what she needed: to have a purpose, to be doing something that would help their situation. It kept her mind focused on something besides her fears. After a few minutes, he felt the harsh material slip off his wrists. Brennan took them in her hands, rubbing the sore spots to sooth them. Booth closed his eyes at her touch.

The vehicle came to a stop and the engine cut off. "Shit!" Booth cussed, quickly trying to untie the rope around Brennan's hands. He fumbled with it until he heard the driver's door slam closed. "Bones, get behind me now!" She didn't hesitate.

The van door swung open forcefully. Bright light beamed into the cabin, temporarily blinding the captives.

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please review :) thanks


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: Hey guys, sorry this isn't a new chapter but I decided to redo Chapter 5 a little. I made some stupid mistakes and some of you caught onto them (thanks for pointing them out). I guess this is why I shouldn't write fics during exam week, my mind is too scattered to catch these things. I wasn't happy with leaving the chapter as is, so I edited a few things, including the beginning of this chapter where Brennan fights their attacker. Also, I meant to put Brennan is in Maryland, not Delaware. I'm going to have some people read over my next chapter before I post it to hopefully prevent myself from making these sorts of mistakes. The next chapter should be up by this weekend. Thanks guys and I hope the chapter is better this time around.

CHAPTER 5

Brennan and Booth squinted against the sunlight pouring into the van. After being confined in the darkness for so long, it took a minute for their eyes to adjust. Their attacker took advantage of their vulnerability, grabbing Booth's ankle. In one swift motion, he had the agent laying flat on his back in the gravel. Brennan automatically wanted to reach for her partner, to try to keep him near her. Her vision finally came into focus. She jumped out of the van, balancing on the balls of her feet. She charged at him with her good shoulder. He landed hard on his arm. He reached for her leg, but was instead rewarded with a hard kick to his groin. "Booth, are you alright?" The FBI agent lay on the ground, obviously winded. He took shallow breaths, wincing in the process. His silence worried her. She proceeded to kneel beside him.

The man approached them again, but Booth's heel slammed into his shin. An audible snap was music to their ears. The man went down, screaming in agony over his broken bone. Brennan shifted her body, cursing the restraints still firmly in place on her hands behind her back. She turned around, wedging her hands under his body and pushing her back up against him. Her awkward position made it difficult to lift him. "Come on Booth, we got to get out of here." He responded, using his hands to grab onto the van to help lift himself up. She was so concerned with her partner, she didn't hear the approaching footsteps behind her.

Once they were both finally standing and facing each other, Booth's head leaned into the crook of Brennan's neck for support. His ears perked up at the sound of crunching gravel, eyes glancing over her shoulder. Another man was running towards them, gun in hand. Booth's chocolate brown orbs went wide; the barrel was pointed at Brennan's head. The gun cocked. "Temperance move!" Without a second thought, Booth grabbed her, shoving her down the hillside next to the van.

Before she even realized what was going on, Brennan was rolling through leaves and twigs. She hit the bottom with an "oof." She scrambled to get back to her feet, having trouble with her bound hands. She stumbled, gaining her footing. She charged at the hillside, but quickly fell back down. It was too steep and slippery to get back up without the use of her hands. Frustrated tears sprung to the corner of her eyes. Damn it Booth, don't do this! Don't try to be the hero! As she attempted to climb the incline again, a terrifying sound echoed through the hills: a gun shot. Her eyes grew wide, stopping in her tracks like a deer in headlights. "NO!" She screamed, "BOOTH?! BOOTH!" Silence. "ANSWER ME DAMN IT!" Still nothing. Tears streamed down her face. She couldn't lose it now, not when Booth needed her the most. She ran at the hill, face planting in the debris. Her body slid down into a tree trunk. She groaned.

A man appeared at the top of incline, scanning the area for Brennan. She quietly crawled into a patch of nearby bushes, peeking through branches to watch the man's movements. Muffled conversation floated down to her ears. She tried to calm her heavy breathing in order to hear.

The guy with the broken shin voiced his concern, "What about the girl?"

"Don't worry about her, she's as good as dead out there. Besides, it's getting dark. We've got work to do." Without another word, he walked back towards the van.

As soon as the man was out of sight, Brennan took off into the woods. Her heart told her to go back to Booth but her brain told her to run for help. Without a phone, she couldn't call for medical help and without medical help, Booth would surely die from a bullet wound. If he wasn't already dead. She ran faster, trying to escape the horrible reality and images that assaulted her mind. He couldn't be dead. This was Booth after all, he's survived worse.

After about an hour, Temperance finally emerged from the woods. A small town was laid out in front of her. The sun had set a while ago, spreading a blanket of darkness over the land. The streets were practically empty. Those who did notice Brennan assumed based on her appearance that she was just a homeless person wandering around. She approached someone, asking to borrow their cell phone but they completely ignored her. Frantically, she set her sights on a phone booth. She slammed open the door, trying to quickly dial the number to the FBI. She stood sideways, using her bound hands to punch the digits before awkwardly positioning the phone between the receiver and her ear. "Yes, I need to make a collect call. Tell them Doctor Temperance Brennan is calling, it's urgent." She waited a moment as she was patched through. "Yes, this is Temperance Brennan. Special Agent Seeley Booth has been kidnapped and shot." She tried her best to sound strictly professional, but she couldn't keep the edge out of her voice.

"Okay Dr. Brennan. Do you know where he is right now?" the responder questioned.

"Um," she thought as quickly as possible, glancing at her surroundings. "We were in Virginia, but it looks like we're now in Maryland. It's near a small town with a forest." She paused, trying to remember every detail. A memory came back to her. "There's a um, a hill near the house he's being held in. A steep one." For once, her intellect wasn't helping much. "I'm sorry, I don't know anything else."

"It's okay Dr. Brennan. Don't worry, we'll find him." The finality of the click signaling the end of the call sounded like a death sentence. Had she really done the right thing by leaving to call the FBI? What else could she have done if she stayed? There was no possible way of getting up that hillside.

The dial tone finally snapped her back into reality. She dialed another number, the only one she could think of at the moment. She cussed as the phone slipped out from under her. Kneeling, she pressed the phone against the side of the booth with her head. She requested to make a collect call to the operator again. A familiar voice filled her ear.

"Sweetie?" Temperance was so happy to hear her friend's voice, she forgot to respond. "Bren? Are you there? Where are you guys?" She asked, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

"Angela." Brennan could hear the other girl sigh in relief.

"Oh thank God. I thought the worst when they found Booth's SUV overturned in Virginia." Brennan's breath caught at the mention of her partner. Booth. She couldn't stop thinking about what ifs. "Where are you now? Is Booth with you?"

Temperance tried to keep her composure, but she was quickly losing it. Her voice cracked, "I don't know Ange, I just don't know."

Angela immediately regretted her usual fast paced talking. She had asked too many questions too quickly and had overwhelmed her best friend. "It's okay sweetie, just take a deep breath. Describe to me where you are."

For the second time that night, Brennan wracked her brain. How could Angela come get her if she didn't know where she was? She took a minute to calm herself before proceeding. Okay, when they had been taken, it had been almost dark out. The sun was setting when the van opened and now it was dark again so a full day had to have passed. They were knocked out most of the time, so who knows how much of that time was actually spent driving. "Between the amount of time it's been since we were attacked and based on my surroundings, I'd say we're in Maryland. I'm in a small town, there's barely anyone around. Wait, I hear seagulls."

"The ocean! Okay honey, you're in one of the cape towns. Do you notice anything else?"

She squinted out the dirty windows of the phone booth, trying to find any other hints. Her eyes lit up as she spotted an old street sign. "I'm on the corner of Main Street and Experia Way."

She listened to Angel's frenzied typing. "Got it. I'll be there in 40 minutes, just hold on."

Tears slid down Temperance's cheeks, "Call the FBI and inform them Booth is near here too." Angel agreed without questioning the fact Booth wasn't with Brennan. "Thank you Angela," she whispered before hanging up. She let the phone drop, sliding down all the way to the ground. She uncomfortably pulled her knees up towards her, taking shelter in the old phone booth. Phone booth. Ironic she would be in a place that held the last name of her best friend. More tears spilled over. She banged her head against the back of the window. Why?


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is late. It was brought to my attention that my last chapter had some errors in it, so I went back and rewrote some of it. Nothing major changed, except I did meant to put that Brennan is in Maryland, not Delaware. I tried posting that last chapter too quick and during exam week, so I didn't give it my full attention. To make sure I don't make mistakes like that again, I have someone proof-reading my story now. I hope you enjoy! and as always, thank you to everyone who reviewed. And thank you to those of you who caught my mistakes in chapter 5.

CHAPTER 6

Tires squeaked slightly as the vehicle rolled to a stop. Brennan lifted her head from her knees, looking outside the phone booth window. She watched as the engine cut out and Angela jumped out of the driver's side. "Bren?" She heard Angela call to her, but her mind seemed cloudy. "Brennan?" Angela tried again. Deciding she wasn't going to get an answer, she slid open the glass door, sitting on the ground next to her best friend. She laid her hand on the woman's shoulder, providing a small comfort. Temperance looked into Angela's eyes, remembering something she had said years ago: sometimes a simple touch is all the comfort you need. A small smile flitted across her lips. Angela returned it, glad to have reached her. "Come on," she lifted her friend up, surprised to find the woman's hands bound behind her back. "Aw sweetie," she whispered. "Turn around." Brennan complied without a word. Angela took out her keys, a small pocketknife dangling from them. With all of their close encounters with criminals, she had considered the knife a wise investment. Within two minutes, the ropes fell away. Brennan pulled her arms around in front of her. Her muscles ached from the strain. It felt so good to be free of the restraints.

Angela led Brennan to the car. Once they were both inside, Angela turned to face her. "I know this is probably going to sound like a stupid question, but are you alright?"

Temperance looked over at the driver's seat, "I don't know Ange." She paused a moment, "I need to find Booth."

Angela was glad Brennan had finally mentioned her partner's name. She had been wondering about him but was too afraid to ask, fearing she would push Brennan away. "Do you know where he is?"

Before Temperance could answer, a procession of black SUVs raced down the street. She instantly recognized them. "No," her voice grew louder, "But they do! Follow them Angela!" Angela didn't protest. The enthusiasm in Brennan's voice reassured her that her friend would be okay. Now it was Booth she was worried about most.

They quickly caught up with the other vehicles, speeding so as not to lose them. Finally they all pulled over, agents diving out of cars left and right. Brennan flung open the door, sliding out of her seat to the ground. She wobbled a little on her feet, which didn't go unnoticed by Angela. The pair rushed over to the scene, being stopped by one of the officers. "Excuse me ma'am, this is a crime scene. We need you and your friend to stay back."

"I'm Dr. Temperance Brennan, I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth's partner." She couldn't believe this guy wasn't going to let her by.

"I'm sorry Dr. Brennan, but this area is blocked off. FBI only." The agent turned his back, intent on going back to work. Brennan rushed past him. "Miss!" he grabbed her arm. She turned around quickly, her eyes dangerously daring him to make a move.

Angela stepped between the two, addressing the man before them, "Look, FBI or not, she _is_ Booth's partner. And unless you want your agent friends there to see you get your ass handed to you by a girl, you will want to let her go."

Brennan's gaze never left his as she felt his grip slacken before releasing her. "Fine, just don't get in the way."

Temperance shoved her way past him, "As long as your men don't damage any of my evidence."

Angela caught up with her, whispering in her ear. "Okay Bren, don't push your luck."

Her warning went unheeded.

Several FBI agents ran out of the house on the property, signaling the all clear. Brennan charged towards them. "What do you mean there's no one in there?! This is where the kidnappers took us." She pointed towards a spot on the ground, "And that's where Booth and I fought them off." Four men made their way towards the area she had indicated. "Don't step there! There could be DNA evidence from our attackers' blood!" She quickly shooed them away. "If you want to do something useful, get me some gloves and evidence bags." She bent down, examining the area.

One agent stayed nearby. "Wait, you and Booth were both here?" She nodded without looking up. "Did you see your attackers?" She nodded again. "Then we're going to need you to give us a description so we can have one of our artists sketch a picture of them."

Before she could answer, Angela raised her hand in the air, "That would be my job. We'll have the sketches sent to you by morning." The guy shifted his eyes between the two, before finally letting it drop.

Another person rushed over, carrying the supplies Brennan had requested. She thanked him before sliding the gloves over her hands. Bright lights were being set up, illuminating the whole crime scene. Just as she had suspected, small pools of blood were soaked into the ground. She grabbed small blood coated twigs and gravel from each spot. She knew most of this was probably from Booth. He had been shot, it was the logical answer. She silently hoped she was wrong. At least there wasn't enough red liquid on the ground for him to have bled to death. But he could have done that somewhere else. She tried to suppress the shudder at the thought. She turned around, scooping up a handful of topical soil from where the tire tread marks were in the ground. Tires collect dirt and grime wherever they go; hopefully some of that fell off when they drove away. She would have Hodgins take a look when they got back to the lab.

The darkness had hidden the extent of Brennan's wounds from Angela, but in the light they were obvious. Dried blood stained her dark blue blouse. Temperance turned around at hearing the girl gasp. "What is it Ange?"

The artist bent down next to her friend, "Bren, you need to go to a hospital. You're bleeding."

Brennan shook her head defiantly. "No, Booth needs me. I don't have time to deal with doctors."

Angela grabbed her by the shoulders, getting her full attention. "Brennan! You have a gun shot wound. Now that may not mean much to you, but it does to me." She took a calming breath. "Look, if you want to help Booth, you have to be at your best. The only way to do that is to get checked out."

Brennan sighed. Angela always knew how to get her agree: logic. She couldn't deny that putting off seeking medical attention would only make things worse. "Fine, but no hospital. The paramedics here can see to me." Angela nodded, she'd take what she could get. Brennan got to her feet, only to have her knees buckle. Angela quickly caught her. "I think the adrenaline is wearing off." Angela just rolled her eyes as she helped the anthropologist over to the medical team waiting on the sidelines. Brennan had hoped they would be used to treat Booth. Her mind kept straying back to all the questions running through her head about her partner.

*****

Dripping. Droplet after droplet hit the puddle below. The soft sound seemed almost deafening in the quiet room. Booth's eyes opened slowly, adjusting to his surroundings. He shifted, testing to see how far he could move. Damn it, he had restraints on him again. A sharp stab of pain raced down his side and his leg. Oh right, he had been shot and broken his ribs in the car accident with Brennan. Bones…he prayed to God that she had been able to make it away from there. And he hoped she would one day forgive him for making that decision for her.

"Well look who is finally conscious…" an all too familiar voice echoed in the empty warehouse. A sharp metal instrument glistened in the light. "Let's get started, shall we Agent Booth?"

*****

Please review! thanks :D


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: hey guys, thanks for all of your reviews. I haven't been able to reply lately, I have a lot going on right now. Unfortunately finals are coming up too so this will probably be the last update for about two weeks or so. Sorry guys, but my grades take precendence over writing. I wish it was the other way around. Please enjoy, and review! Maybe if I get a lot of reviews, I can find time to update sooner ;)

also, a special thank you to Lori, who has been proofreading my last couple of chapters.

CHAPTER 7

Brennan hovered over the remains of the Carver's previous victims examining every millimeter of bone. There had to be a clue in them. She had an uncanny way of making the dead speak to her. As soon as Angela and Brennan had arrived back at the lab, they were greeted by a bunch of worried squints. Brennan had insisted on going back to Jeffersonian, despite Angela's many attempts to get her to go home to rest.

"Bren!" Angel yelled, quickly approaching her friend. "Ten more minutes and then you are going to go take a nap on your couch or so help me I will drag your ass in there." She stopped on the other side of the autopsy table holding a sketch of the latest victim's face.

"I know Ange, I will. Just let me finish with this clavicle." Temperance knew Angela would never give up if she didn't get some sleep. Logic also told her she needed to be well rested so she could think clearly. Her mind seemed cloudy, like she was operating in a haze. It was becoming increasingly difficult to get anything done.

Angela turned her sketch pad around to face Brennan, "I sent this image through the missing persons database and got a hit. The girl's name is Anna Tienly. She went missing 8 months ago." A shiver that had nothing to do with the temperature traveled up her spine. "How many of those months do you think were spent being tortured by this man?" She looked down at the picture she had drawn, the blonde girl's face staring back at her. "She was only eighteen; she was just beginning her life."

The anthropologist looked up for a moment, "I'm not sure. From the rate of decomposition, I'd estimate she died about 5 months ago." While she was missing, Cam had already completed her studies of the tissue before giving Zack permission to strip the flesh off of the bones. Brennan noticed a peculiar mark on the collar bone, shifting it to the right under the lighting. "Zack!" she called, "Come look at this."

Zack placed the bones of a separate victim back down on his table before walking over to Brennan's. "What is it Dr. Brennan?"

"Do you see the way this mark is deeper than the others? It's length is also substantially shorter than the other lines. Most of the lines are continuous at least four feet in length before coming to a stop. They take many twists and turns, but they are always more than four feet long." She pointed to the marking on the collar bone, "This one here is only a foot in length."

Zack's face lit up, a telltale sign he was onto something. "I also found the same marking in the same exact spot on a different victim." He spoke quickly while retrieving the collar bone from his autopsy table. "See here? It's the same length and pattern."

Brennan held both bones close together, comparing every twist the knife must have taken. "The depth matches as well." She replaced both bones before rushing down the platform steps and into her office. She discarded her gloves before grabbing the case file and returning to her co-workers. She flipped open the thick folder to pictures of previous victims. The same mark was prevalent on each victim in the same area of the collar bone.

Angela came up behind her, looking at each gruesome image. "Oh my god," she whispered, stepping back from the folder. Brennan looked up at her. "It's a signature." At the confused look she received from the two anthropologists, she clarified. "Not a literal signature of a name. It's a specific design he uses to let people know who did this. He's proud of what he does; he's showing it off." She brought her hand up to mouth, feeling sick to her stomach. "He considers what he does to be art."

"Angela?" Brennan questioned.

Angela flung her hand out, brushing away Temperance's concern. "I'm fine, it's just…This guy is demeaning art in every way, and in his twisted version of reality he believes what he does to be beautiful." Being an artist, she couldn't help but take the Carver's actions to heart. "Sick bastard…" she whispered.

The familiar beep sounded as Hodgins swiped in his keycard. "Dr. Brennan, I just got back the results of the soil samples you gave me from where you and Agent Booth were taken. It was hard to decipher which particles would be most important since obviously tires pick up a lot of different things. I did notice there was a large amount of sea salt in the soil samples from the tire tracks."

Brennan dismissed his finding, "We were near the ocean Hodgins, of course there is going to be a lot of sea salt."

"Yes but the amount of sea salt in the tire tracks was much greater than the levels found in the gravel and soil samples from other areas of the ground. There were also particles from various common metals such as steel and iron. Everything else I found was normal for that area."

Brennan put both of her hands on the table in front of her, trying to steady herself. The movement didn't go unnoticed by her best friend. "Okay so sea salt and metallic particles. What does that give us?"

"I'm not sure, I'm just the bug and slime guy. Maybe we should run it by-" Hodgins' face froze, stopping his sentence short before mentioning Booth's name out of habit. Brennan's body became tense at the implication. He mentally berated himself for almost slipping up.

"Cam," Angela finished for him. "He's going to run it by Cam since she used to work with the police. She's good at putting the clues together." She paused, waiting for the others to go back to their stations before addressing Brennan. "And you need to take that nap now." Brennan began to protest but Angela quickly silenced her with a stern voice, "_Now_ Bren." Brennan sighed before allowing herself to be led to her office. Angela grabbed a blanket out of one of the storage cabinets while Brennan laid down on her couch. Her friend covered her up. "Get some sleep sweetie." She smoothed out Brennan's hair with one hand. "And don't worry, we'll find Booth. We always do."

Angela walked towards the exit, her hand resting over the light switch when she heard a faint sound, "He called me Temperance…" She turned back around, staring at the figure who was now half sitting up and looking back at her. "He called me Temperance, Ange." The artist took a seat at the edge of the couch by her friend's feet. Brennan shook her head, "I know this shouldn't bother me, it's stupid that it does, I mean it is my name after all. But he never calls me anything but Bones." Tears started to well up in her eyes again. "The last thing he said to me was 'Temperance move!' and then he pushed me out of the line of fire." Her mind replayed the scene over and over again, his voice ringing out loud and clear. "Not Bones, but Temperance…"

Before she knew what was happening, Brennan found herself engulfed in a hug. Angela knew it was only a matter of time before the anthropologist broke down; she had been in work mode ever since Angela had found her. Once she had settled down onto the couch, she didn't have the mission of finding Booth or the distraction of work to keep her busy. "Shh, it's okay sweetie. And it's not stupid. He probably called you Temperance because of the direness of the situation. He was saying the one name he knew would get your attention." Angela pulled back, smiling. "Don't worry, once we find him he'll call you Bones until you start pestering him to stop again."

A sad laugh escaped past Brennan's lips. "It's odd, but I actually like it when Booth calls me Bones now. It's weird to think that it should bother me when he doesn't."

Angela smiled inwardly. "Of course you like it. Having a nickname is a term of endearment. It shows that he cares. He's always cared about you Brennan, and he always will. That's why you are safe right now. He cares about you so much that he would risk his own life for yours."

"He shouldn't have…" Temperance whispered. "It got him shot. He may not even be alive anymore." A tear rolled down her cheek at mentioning the one possibility she had been refusing to believe in. But to ignore this conclusion for her would be to ignore the facts and the evidence. A war was waging between her mind and it heart. Brennan closed her eyes tightly. "The gun was pointed at me. I feel the same way about him Angela. Doesn't he realize that? It should be me who was shot, not him. Damn him and his alpha male tendencies."

Angela knew Brennan wasn't really mad at Booth, but just lashing out. At least it meant she was trying to deal with her emotions instead of compartmentalizing them. "Sweetie, he did it to save your life. Even if the gun shot had missed your vital organs, he knew you had already been shot once before and couldn't survive losing another large quantity of blood. He only did what he thought was best in that split second in time. His heart decided for him." Brennan thought back to her father's trial, when Booth had told her to put her brain in neutral and to "pop" her heart into overdrive. She smiled softly at the memory. She realized on that day she would do anything to save the people she loves. There would be nothing that could stop her from getting her partner back. Nothing.

Brennan leaned her head back against the armrest of the couch, her hand resting over her forehead. "Thanks Ange, for everything."

The other woman smiled, "Anytime. And just to let you know, the two sketches I drew earlier from the descriptions you gave me of your kidnappers are being looked into as we speak. No matches have been found yet, but we'll find them. And Booth."

Brennan nodded in appreciation before watching Angela turn off the lights, walk out and close the door behind her. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself further. She would never get any rest if she didn't relax first. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly out of frustration, 'Where are you Booth?' Booth's words in the kidnapper's van echoed in her mind, "God only knows where."

****

Please read and review :)

side notes--the ending quote from Booth in the van was from chapter 4 in response to Brennan's question "where are we?" Also, in the next chapter we'll see what's going on with Booth and his kidnapper


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Well so much for updating over winter break huh? Real life caught up with me in the form of family emergencies and school. Now I have to write a 16 page paper and another 5 page paper when I would much rather be writing this. Oh the joys of college. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and I hope it was worth the wait. I made it a tad longer than the others since you've all been so patient.

CHAPTER 8

Brennan bolted up into a sitting position, her chest heaving. Sweat covered her face. Her frantic eyes scanned her surroundings before finally realizing she was in her office; it was only a nightmare. She sighed, rubbing her eyes with her right hand. She glanced at the clock sitting on her desk. It had only been an hour since she had been forced by Angela to take a nap. Brennan swung her legs over the side of the couch to sit up. There was no way she would be able to get back to sleep after the horrid images she had seen in her dream. That suited her just fine, it gave her an excuse to get back to work.

Her fingers easily found the light switch, instantly illuminating her office. She opened her desk drawer, pulling out a pocket mirror. She tried to fix her sleep-disheveled hair before deciding she might as well take a shower in the back. Rummaging through her cabinet, she found her change of clothes she always kept hidden for when she worked overnight. She wouldn't admit it to the others, but sometimes she never left the lab.

Slipping out of her office so as not to be noticed, she entered the empty wash room. The showerhead groaned a bit as the water began pouring out. Steam rose up from the ground. Shedding her clothes, she stepped into the soothing water. Rivulets ran over her skin, washing away the dirt and blood staining her body. She hissed through gritted teeth when some of the liquid accidentally made contact with her bullet wound. She turned around, careful to avoid that spot. She closed her eyes, imagining her problems going down the drain with the water. If only it were that easy…

After rinsing the soap off, she grabbed her towel from the rack to dry herself. She applied a fresh gauze pad to her bullet wound before slipping into a clean pair of jeans and a green blouse. Once she finished blow drying her hair, she put it up into a ponytail to keep it from getting in her way while she worked.

Angela watched Brennan approach the platform. "That nap of yours wasn't nearly as long as I had intended it to be," she told the anthropologist.

Temperance quickly brushed her off, "I couldn't sleep. What have you found?"

Angela sighed, knowing Brennan was hell bent on finding her partner. "Not much, though we did get a hit on my sketches of your kidnappers: Roy and Kevin Jemerson." She followed her co-worker around the platform as Brennan began studying the bones of their latest victim again. "They're brothers. They're listed as common 'for hire' men. Based on the information I found about them, I highly doubt they are the mastermind behind your kidnapping. They must have been working for someone else."

Brennan didn't like the sound of that. Before she could comment on Angela's findings, a delivery man walked up to the platform, stopping by the key swipe. "I have a package for a Dr. Temperance Brennan? The security desk told me I could find her here. I have a package that needs to be signed for."

"I'm her." Brennan quickly descended the stairs, retrieving a pen from the post office worker. He handed her the box after he had her signature. She walked back up the stairs to a cleared off table before the delivery man could even say good-bye. Seeing he was no longer needed, he left for his next destination.

Temperance carefully took the brown wrapping off of the plain box. The fact there was no return address put her on high alert. Angela watched over her shoulder. Brennan grabbed a sharp instrument from her work table to cut through the packaging tape. Hodgins appeared next to the pair having heard the delivery man come in. Even though the sender's name was not written on the box, it was obvious to all three who sent it: Booth's kidnapper.

Pulling back the flaps of the package, Brennan pulled out the first object: a small vial filled with blood. Her breath caught, seeing a video tape laying in the middle. She forced herself not to jump to any conclusions about what footage it may contain, but her mind had other ideas. Booth's face, drained of all life, flashed before her. She closed her eyes for a moment to dispel the images. She wouldn't let her fears take over again. Part of her didn't want to know what was on the tape, but she needed to know. She needed to know about her partner. Without saying a word, she passed off the vial to Hodgins before racing down the platform stairs to her office. Upon seeing Brennan's anxious state, Zack and Cam stopped what they were doing to see what was going on. The entire squint squad followed her into the doorway of her office, watching as her shaking hand shoved the video into the player. She took a deep breath, steeling herself before finally hitting the play button.

The television screen was fuzzy with grey static until an image abruptly appeared. The room was dark; it was hard to see anything. The soft dripping from the speakers seemed to pound in their ears, like a drummer playing his heart out. The seconds dragged on as nothing happened. Angela nervously held one of her fists over her heart, the suspense getting to her. She desperately wanted whatever was going to happen to just happen already but on the other hand, she wanted nothing more than to bolt from the room before she could see an image that may stick in her mind for years to come. Whatever was on this video couldn't be good. Hodgins shifted his eyes over to her, draping an arm around her figure. She leaned into him for support. Brennan's eyes remained trained on the television, taking in every detail she could make out.

A soft moan pierced through the silence. Brennan held her breath, listening intently. She didn't have to wait long before a voice boomed through the speakers. "You're awake again, good." A bright light flashed on, illuminating Booth's figure. His body was propped up in a chair with his hands secured behind his back, his shirt missing. Blood ran from random cuts along his body, as well as his gun shot wound. He flinched against the light. Temperance instantly breathed a small sigh of relief to see that he was actually alive. Now her main focus was getting him back. The man wandered around in the dark. "Try not to pass out this time Agent Booth, we have company watching." Booth's body became rigid at the implication. His head swiveled around, looking for the camera he knew was trained on him. He stared straight into the lens. Brennan could see his resolve harden as he tried to push his pain away. Booth knew who would receive this video and he didn't want the squints to see how much agony he was really in, he didn't want _her_ to see how much he was suffering.

The agent turned back towards his captor, trying not to look at the camera. A man dressed in all black wearing a matching cloth over his face came into view. He pulled out a long knife, making sure the light glinted off of it. He was careful to keep the weapon in the camera's view. "Let's continue where we left off." The blade dove into Booth's tanned skin, turning this way and that as it sliced through flesh. Booth stared straight ahead of him, determined not to make any acknowledgement of the pain he was enduring, especially when he knew who else was watching. Brennan tried to remain objective, she worked better when her emotions weren't involved. Unfortunately, the time for being objective was long passed. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, Brennan could easily detect his discomfort by his clenching fist and the way his feet were positioned. After spending so many years together as partners, she could read his body language. A fleeting inward smile crossed her mind as she imagined Booth being proud of her ability to finally be able to read someone, even if it was only him. She would never admit it to anyone, but she treasured those moments when he told her that he was proud of her.

The knife exited Booth's body with a wet squelching noise before diving back into flesh mere inches away from the last wound. Red liquid shone brightly in the lighting. "What's the matter Booth? Quiet now, are we? What happened to all of that macho man talk?" Booth bit down on his tongue to keep from responding. There were so many things he wanted to tell this guy, the main one being to 'fuck off,' but there was no way he was going to do that with a camera trained on him. Anything he said to his kidnapper now would just cause him more pain, which in turn would cause whoever saw this video more pain. He had no doubt in his mind who this video was being made for or who would receive it. He worked hard to keep his face stoic; any pain he showed would in turn only cause his friends pain at seeing him like this. He couldn't let that happen anymore than need be. Especially to Brennan. Life had already dealt her enough agony for a lifetime if not more, she didn't need this too. He gritted his teeth as the knife dove deeper. "I'm disappointed, I expected more from you agent."

An idea popped into Booth's head. He shifted his eyes towards the camera, focusing them into the lens. Brennan's body went tense; it was like he was staring right at her. But that was a ridiculous conclusion, it was a video. Despite her rationalization, the feeling wouldn't leave her body. After a few prolonged seconds, his gaze landed back on the man in front of him, mustering up as much malice as he could before uttering a single sentence, "You're no better than the Gravedigger." Temperance froze, had she really just heard what she thought she did?

His captor stepped back for a second to examine the man, "The Gravedigger has got nothing on me. I can put you through torture the Gravedigger has never even dreamed of." He smirked, "Of course last I knew, you and your FBI buddies all called me a cooler name. I'm sure your lovely knows it, doesn't she?" Booth's body went rigid at the mention of Brennan. "Ah, so she does." The man leaned in close, using a seductive tone, "You know, it's really a shame she couldn't be here with us. There's just so many ideas I had planned for her…" He licked his lips. Booth lunged in his seat, coming inches from head butting his enemy. He growled. "Temper, temper. Oh wait, isn't that part of the good doctor's name? Temperance. How fitting." The man smiled before driving his fist into Booth's stomach. The agent only winced. Angered at not receiving the reaction he wanted, the pummeling only continued. Seeley gritted his teeth, finally crying out when a fist hit his already injured ribs.

Brennan gripped her armrest tight, her knuckles turning white. Cam's hand flew to her mouth, seeing her long-time friend in such agony. Only Temperance knew about his ribs, and why he was in so much misery. And only she knew what damage a blow like that could have done. Booth's eyes fluttered, on the verge of passing out again. His vision became blurry, a mixture of intense colors before the black around the edges finally consumed him again. His head drooped against his chest. The man, who could only be the Carver, turned his head towards the camera. He straightened up, wiping the agent's blood off of himself on a rag before tossing it onto a table. "Temperance. I was going to send you a postcard, but that seemed too cheesy. So take this as my 'Wish You Were Here' message." A large grin spread across his face before the television turned to grey static once more.

The whole team remained motionless, in silent shock. Finally, Angela broke free from Hodgin's embrace, approaching the anthropologist to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Brennan…" she began, but wasn't able to make it very far before being cut off.

Temperance knew exactly where Angela was headed with this conversation even before it really started. She didn't need to hear emotion-filled words and assurances that her partner would be okay when they honestly didn't know themselves if he would be. She didn't need false hope. She needed facts. She abruptly stood up, Angela's hand falling off her friend's shoulder. The artist drew it back to her chest. Brennan turned around, her face still pale. "Hodgins, get working on that vial I handed you earlier." He nodded before leaving. She worked hard to steady her voice, but was failing. "Gravedigger, he mentioned the Gravedigger. It has to be some sort of message. He knew the Carver wouldn't let him speak the name of the place he was being held. He had to send it in an encoded message."

Zack spoke up, "Maybe that's what he was referring to when he mentioned the Gravedigger, the encoded message. Like when you and Hodgins sent us the text from your phone. He was using Gravedigger as a code word and yet also pointing it out as a code word by using that very word."

"Was he referring to the actual message Brennan and Hodgins sent to Booth's phone that day? Does this mean he's being held in Virginia?" Cam tried following the conversation.

Brennan shook her head immediately, "No, we were in Virginia when we were taken hostage. We ended up going North into Maryland. It would make no sense to take us from the South, then go North and back South again." She turned to go back towards the platform where the package the Carver had sent still rested.

As expected, her team followed her. Angela was right on her heels. "What if they did that to confuse to you, especially since you knew they were in Maryland when you escaped?"

"They didn't plan on me escaping, no one did." She silently added in her mind 'except maybe Booth.' She sighed, "Once the house they stopped at was compromised, they had to keep moving. They most likely head North. To the East was water and to the West was the FBI and the Jeffersonian." Brennan leaned up against the table, her breathing becoming faster. "And to the South, the FBI is still investigating. The only safe route is North. He's cocky, but not stupid." She inspected the package with her gloves on. "Give this to Hodgins, see if he can pull anything off of it while the blood is being tested." She turned her head away from the box to cough. She tried to calm her breathing, but it seemed to be out of her control.

"Dr. Brennan? Are you feeling alright?" Cam took a step forward, afraid the doctor may collapse at any moment. Her face was rapidly losing its color.

"I'm fine Dr. Saroyan," she waved dismissively. Brennan didn't even believe herself.

"Cam has a point Bren, I think you should sit down for a moment."

"No, I…We need to focus on Booth." Her words were coming out disjointed and in a rush. Her vision started getting blurry. She whispered one last word, "Booth."

"Whoa!" Angela yelled, before catching the now unconscious Brennan before her head slammed in to the ground. She held the woman in her lap on the floor. "Bren?! Brennan!"

Hodgins came rushing out at hearing Angela's panicked voice. "Oh shit," he cursed. "I'll dial 911!" he shouted, grabbing his phone.

Cam knelt down, feeling for a pulse. "It's getting weak and her breathing is becoming shallow," she whispered. Just what the hell was going on? Sweat accumulated on the woman's forehead even though her body felt cold. "Zack, go get some blankets now! She's losing body heat quickly!" She looked back down into the face of her colleague, shocked to see how vulnerable to she looked. Cam grabbed Brennan's hand as Angela continued to rock her best friend, whispering encouraging words. Tears pricked at her eyes; they had just gotten Brennan back. She couldn't be taken from them again, Cam wouldn't allow it. This was her team, and she'd be damned if she let any of them down.

*****

As always, please review :)


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